In a quiet Florida town, life is idyllic for Jack and Molly Campbell and their 4-year-old son, Joey. But one day a phone call shatters their peace. A social worker reports that Joey's biological father, newly released from prison, wants his son back. Can Jack devise a plan to circumvent a judge's devastating decision? 384 pages, softcover from Center Street.

Like Dandelion Dust Discussion Questions: by Karen Kingsbury

1. Have you ever known someone who adopted a child, and then had that child taken away because the adoption fell through? Describe that situation. How did the adoptive parents handle the loss?

2. What did you think of Molly and Jack’s decision to leave the country?

3. Is there any way to justify the decision Molly and Jack made?

4. Read the story of Mary and Joseph’s escape to Egypt in Matthew, Chapter 2. Did this give moral precedent for Molly and Jack to take Joey and flee the country? Why or why not?

5. What Molly and Jack wanted to do was illegal, no question about it. If you were Beth, would you have turned them in? Why or why not?

6. Molly and Beth shared a special relationship. What were some of the reasons they were close?

7. Describe a close relationship you have with a sister or a friend. What makes that relationship close?

8. Have there been times when you have had to make a difficult decision—like the one Beth made—for the good of someone you love? Describe that situation. What was the outcome?

9. How might God have blessed Molly and Jack if they hadn’t tried to defy the law?

10. Why was Jack so closed to the possibility of God’s help while he looked for a way to keep custody of Joey? Explain your answer.

11. What did Beth mean when she said that God’s will is always accomplished if you ask Him? Can you give an example of this in your life?

12. Wendy Porter was a woman caught up in abuse. Do you know anyone in a similar situation? Why do people stay in harmful relationships?

13. Read 1 Kings, Chapter 3. How does the story of the two mothers relate to the sacrifice Wendy made on behalf of her son? How is the Bible story different?

14. Who was your favorite character in Like Dandelion Dust? Why?

15. Which character are you most like? How?

16. Do you think Molly and Jack would’ve gotten away with their plan? Why or why not?

17. Do you think they would’ve been happy in their new life in the Cayman Islands? Why or why not?

18. What would you do if a judge ordered that one of your children had to be taken away?

19. If you could make any change to the adoption laws in this country, what change would you make? Do you think the current system protects children most of the time, some of the time, or all of the time?